Terms (The Experiments Book 3)

by Jacqueline Druga

  “What do you mean?” Cal asked.

  “You and Rickie. Did it occur to you to just be silent?”

  “Did it occur to you to not be so passive?”

  “Yeah, dude, we can take them.” Rickie said.

  Billy chuckled. “We can take them? Maybe you can take them Rickie, or take some of them out, until they kill you. But if they shoot me, I’m not returning.”

  “How do you know?” Rickie asked.

  “I know.”

  “You’ve been here at Caldwell. How do you know when they put you under for that leg, they didn’t inject you with a little DNA mutation, dude?”

  Billy swallowed. “Thank you for that.”

  “Only one way to tell,” Rickie said. “Let’s get them.”

  “Then what?” Billy asked. “Yeah, there’s only four here, but what about out there?”

  “I didn’t think that far ahead.”

  “Yeah, obviously.” Billy grumbled.

  “Dude, at least thinking of doing something is better than having scared-dee cat attitude.”

  “Scared-dee cat?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Sit back and go back to growling.”

  “Dude, just you wait. I am so telling the Sarge all you did was hit on his woman while you were here.”

  “You would.”

  Suddenly, Cal sat back. She turned her head to Billy. “What time is it?”

  Billy looked at his watch. “A little after four. Why?”

  Cal shifted her eyes and looked around. “He’s here.”

  “What?” Billy asked.

  “I’m telling you. I feel it. I feel safety. He’s here.” Cal repeated. Then with a nudge to her back, slight but hard, Cal looked up.

  Around the table, Jimenez walked. “Who is here?”

  Calmly Cal peered at him. “My guardian angel, Bill. I believe in that. I sense his spirit.”

  Jimenez nodded. “It wouldn’t be your husband that you sense, now would it?”

  Cal chuckled, “My husband? Why would I sense him? I hate him.”

  “Really.” Jimenez said. “Maybe you sense him because you know he has the background to make a rescue attempt for his dear and …” he nodded downward. “Pregnant wife.”

  “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.” Cal said. “My husband has no skills. He sells cars.”

  “Cars,” Jimenez stated. “So you are stating your husband is not Captain Jacob Graison, United States Army, Ranger division.”

  Smug, Cal responded. “Oh, he is definitely not Captain Jacob what’s his name.”

  “I’m sorry, correction. Lt. Colonel Graison now.”

  Cal hesitated, and then responded. “Nope.”

  “You lie. Why?”

  “I’m not lying.”

  Jimenez snapped his finger. A man stepped forward and handed him a folder. Jimenez dropped it to the table. “You of all people should be smart enough of know that medical records are kept in a medical study.”

  Cal glanced down to see her file, and her name. “So?”

  “So, I know of your husband.”

  “Again, so?” Cal shrugged.

  “So, I know of him. And I want you to know, I have no doubt that you sense him. I have no doubt that you sense he may come,” Jimenez said. “I also want you to know, your husband is of no threat to me.”

  At that moment, a loud crack of thunder erupted, sudden and ear piercing. Jimenez, jolted to his left and raised his weapon in a defense mode to nothing.

  Arrogant, Cal produced a smirk, “Not threatened? If that’s so, then why are you so scared at this moment?”

  Confident, and not showing anything but that, Cal sat back. But under the table, she grabbed Rickie’s hand.

  ***

  He rose from the ocean with a silent whoosh. Jake had released his air tank early and swam the rest of the way without the burden of the tanks. The small boat brought him within two miles of the island, and it was up to Jake to make it the rest of the way in without being seen or detected.

  A waterproof duffle was strapped to his back, and he made his way to shore just as the sky blackened and rumbled.

  In a low hunch he hurried to the edge of the trees, slipped into cover and dropped his gear.

  The wet suit was heavy, and Jake removed it. He opened the duffle bag and pulled out the Jake-Man belt. After attaching it to his waist, Jake lifted the handheld island map. He powered it up.

  Worked!

  The island came on the screen and Jake zoomed in. He set the device to look for life signals. Sure enough, two predominant spots lit up. Both showing large groupings. One was the resort, the other a bookstore in town.

  Which would be easier? Jake wondered. The town or the resort, which location to hit first? Although the unit gave him a keen foresight of numbers, it didn’t give him building layouts or interiors. Without that knowledge, Jake would have to survey the areas to come up with a plan of attack. Since town was closer, Jake decided to move there first. Watch, surveillance, act.

  He didn’t have much time to complete his mission. In 90 minutes, as informed via text by Colonel Roberts, a synchronized military attack would take place, where the US armed forces would storm in swiftly and effectively to secure each seized location.

  Just as discussed.

  Jake believed by the time troops arrived, the Caldwell Island would be secure.

  90 minutes was plenty of enough time. He ensued in his single mission.

  Like the computer map dictated, the small patch of trees and nature ran parallel to a main road. The road extended into town, where the foliage stopped. That was Jake’s cover, and until he determined what action and how he was going to initiate, he had to stay within the protection of his cover.

  He could see the small town from where he stood, but not a holistic view. Jake had to grasp a better view, a bird’s eye view, and he searched around for a way to get just that.

  He had to be careful what type of tree he choose for his ‘look out’, he found one, not too tall, but high enough to put him a good twenty feet above the ground.

  It didn’t take Jake long to climb that tree. Securing a footing, he perched himself in a ‘V; opening, wedging in tightly as he raised the ‘extra’ zoom binoculars with night scope.

  The rains started beating down, rolling in his eyes. He wasn’t in the safest of places, he knew that. The sky lit up like fireworks and within seconds, thunder crashed long and loud.

  Jake grinned.

  He saw all he needed to see.

  The town would be first. It was by far too easy for him not to hit.

  The map estimated about thirty people were in the building. Six men huddled close outside as guards, and two walked the streets, darting in a doorway every once and a while to escape the rain.

  That worked in Jake’s favor.

  He saw his town opening, climbed down from the tree, and made his way to the southernmost section of town.

  The main area of the town wasn’t big. About eight businesses, one main street with four crossing over. On those four streets were homes.

  Jake came up Willow, a road lined with homes. They were bungalow style, little, with limited spacing between each unit. Jake ran close to each structure, stopping, ducking in between, watching, and then heading forward once more.

  Four houses shy of the main street, Jake spotted the first street guard. He seemed timid about venturing down Willow. Jake thought perhaps the guard was confident that section of town was empty. The guard walked to the top of the street, peered down, then behind him. What was he waiting for?

  Jake raced forward...

  “It is dumb,” the guard said into this radio. “It is all black. No one is there.”

  “Doesn’t matter, you know what you’ve been told. Check it out. Make a quick sweep.”

  “Fine.” The guard turned to face the street. The thunder rolled in with bright lightening.

  Flash.

  Jake

  Illuminated sudden
ly from the dark to ‘Jake right there’ the guard jolted, and lost any reaction. In fact there was little if any time.

  Into his throat Jake jammed a knife, and with a quick jolt ripped it horizontally across. The guard toppled to the ground.

  After grabbing his radio, Jake dragged his body out of the way, further into the darkness, and then he moved on.

  Guard one down.

  Onto guard two.

  “Rico, come in.” Called the second guard as he made his way toward the main street. “Rico.”

  Jake picked up the radio, as he spotted the guard. “Yes.”

  “Good. You are there. Are you OK?”

  “Yes,” Jake responded.

  “Are you angry about having to check that street?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was it secure?”

  “Yes.”

  “You are mad. Man, I …” The guard froze when something nudged against the back of his head. He cleared the lump in his throat. “Rico?”

  Jake whispered in his ear, soft and graveled. “No.”

  “Shit.”

  Stepping back, silencer still pressed to the back of the guard’s head, Jake fired one shot.

  He dropped to the ground, and Jake, like he did with the other guard, moved him to the side.

  Silently, and against the buildings, Jake pushed on toward the book store where he knew the hostages were held. Double checking the hand held map, the life signals were still the same.

  About twenty feet away, Jake dodged in between two buildings. The six guards protected the outside, diligently and in a line.

  Too easy.

  Jake pulled out the pen, lowered his night vision goggles, lifted the target on the pen, and raised it in an aim.

  He had one shot for each man, if he pulled it off correctly, they would all go down.

  Jake readied, aimed and popped off the darts.

  One, two, three four... six.

  “Fuck,” Jake whispered. He had missed the fifth man.

  He didn’t hit them all in the same bodily spot, but he nailed them. Each of them in sequence grabbing onto the darted site.

  Pulling out his silenced revolver, Jake charged forth before the fifth man could run inside.

  The five men he hit, dropped to the ground, they’d be out for hours, and as the lone standing man reached for the door, Jake grabbed him and shot him.

  Pulling him from the doorway, and knowing he had only seconds, Jake, back against the wall, snuck a peek through the door.

  He could see gunmen inside, and hostages seated on the floor, around tables, very little movement. It was a mixed group

  “This is way too fuckin’ easy,” Jake said to himself. He pulled a testosterone gas can from his belt, looked at his watch. After rendering them unconscious, Jake had an hour to get to the resort, secure that area and finish up before the military showed up. It could actually be perfect. Island done, and most of the terrorist wrapped up and waiting for arrest.

  He placed on the gas mask small, and snug, that Caldwell provided, and then watched the sky. In his head he had been counting how long it took from the lightening to the thunder. It had been three or four seconds. Not much time.

  Mouth securing the gas can by the pin; Jake reached for the door handle. He swung around his rifle.

  The sky lit up. When it did, Jake turned the knob, and burst through He yanked the gas can from his mouth, tossed the grenade and spit out the pin.

  The instant the thunder blasted Jake reigned fire upon the gunman who weren’t even ready.

  Screams entailed in the bookstore, but not for long. Within seconds, the men in the room dropped like flies, leaving the seven women, standing, shaking and at a loss for what happened.

  ***

  It wasn’t the sound of it, but more the feeling of the thunder that gave Jimenez a bad feeling. He immediately ordered a radio contact with town. When there was no answer, and no check-in he sent out four men.

  “Anything on the news?” Jimenez asked Una.

  “Nothing. I have contacted our other leaders. They are experiencing nothing.”

  Jimenez shook his head in thought. “No. This is not a military procedure or a military strike. It would be coordinated. This is something else.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like one man.”

  Una chuckled. “One man? You can not be serious.”

  “Very. And we need to draw him out.” Jimenez walked to the window and peered out. “He’s there. I feel it. This is him.”

  “Maybe it is just tough to communicate with the other side of the island now because of the storm?”

  “No. It’s him.”

  “Then how do you plan to draw him out?”

  After a brief glance, Jimenez walked out and into the dining room.

  Cal knew the second Jimenez entered that something was not only up, but it had to do with her. Perhaps it was as easy as the single look he gave before whispering to his men.

  Rickie took notice of Cal’s demeanor. She sat up, paid attention, wasn’t slumping in boredom anymore. “Cal-Babe?”

  Cal shook her head.

  “What is it?” Billy asked.

  “Something is going on. Bet me it has to do with me.”

  Billy gave a quirky look. “You’ve been quiet.”

  “I know. But they look frazzled.”

  The second Jimenez turned her way and took a step, was the second another man came flying in. He grabbed the leader, whispered in his ear. This prompted the leader, to leave the room quickly.

  Jake swiped the water from his eyes. The six men at the entrance of the resort were down. The only problem Jake had was he didn’t have much time to pull the bodies to a secure distance away. A little searching would breed the discovery of the carcasses.

  He knew he would run into problems. He was rushed. In town, with the help of some of the women, he pulled the gunmen who would awaken into a closet, and locked it. He instructed the women to go to the beach in forty minutes. If the men weren’t awake they were to tell authorities where the male hostages were.

  It was understood.

  Jake headed to the resort.

  Guards walked the grounds near the entrance to the resort. Since they made their way via sea, they had only the transportation on the island. That worked in Jake’s favor.

  He was able to sneak close enough to the front of the resort to take out those guards. It was when he was making his way around the back, that he saw one of the henchman step out and race back in.

  It was a matter of seconds, Jake figured, before whoever it was in charge figured out that something was going on.

  Jake rushed to the back of the building. A call for his head would be made soon, so he had to eliminate the backdoor threat.

  Gone.

  The guardsman protecting the front lobby and entrance of the report were gone. Blood smears and puddles were everywhere. Jimenez could have been an idiot and still figured out what had happened to his guards.

  “Don’t waste time looking for our men,” he instructed two of his people. “We are down to a minimum now.” Jimenez said. “Alert the back to be on the look-out for trouble.” He started to walk toward the dining room.

  “We tried.”

  Jimenez stopped. “You tried?”

  “No one is answering. Shall we go look?”

  “No, we can’t take a chance.”

  “Shall we send out men to search out this missing team?”

  “No,” Jimenez answered. “As I said we are minimal. We will draw him out.”

  “Him? You really think this is only one man?”

  Jimenez peered into the dining room and to Cal. He looked back at his man. “I am positive.”

  Cal felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach and the twins kicked violently as if some sort of psychic premonition.

  It wasn’t long after that feeling, seconds, if that, Jimenez stormed into the room.

  Like a soundtrack to a movie, thunder blasted, lightening cr
acked at the same time, without words, he swung out his arm, snapped his finger with a point towards Cal.

  Una and another armed man moved her way.

  Cal stayed focused on them. Not moving.

  Rickie inched his chair back.

  Closer.

  They both aimed their weapon at Cal.

  Billy stood to his feet and Una, without hesitation placed the rifle to Billy’s head.

  “Sit.” He ordered.

  “No.”

  Shift.

  “Sit.”

  “Billy, sit.” Cal urged.

  Una, aim on Billy, motioned his head to his cohort. “Get her.”

  With a squeal and a rush, Cal pushed back her chair and jumped to her feet. Rickie did the same, but his protection attempt was in vain, when the much bigger gunman knocked him out of the way and onto the floor, as he lunged for Cal.

  Billy’s attempts were also futile; Una quickly spun his rifle and used the butt to nail Billy in the forehead.

  It was the first time in a long time that the realization of her physical pregnant state hit her. Cal couldn’t maneuver or fight. A quick jolt brought a pain to her stomach. She resisted as best she could.

  “Bring her this way.” Jimenez ordered.

  Una and the other man, both latched onto Cal’s arms, began to drag her.

  They didn’t make it too far.

  Billy heard it. Shaking his head, he shifted his eyes to his left when the growl occurred.

  In a blur, sounding like a panther, Rickie went from being on the floor to shooting through the air.

  He slammed hard into the first gunman, freeing Cal from his grip.

  The gunman went down, with Rickie on top.

  Screams, of the women, the dying man, mixed with a tearing wet sound, and blood fountain out like rain as Rickie’s transformed jaws ripped his throat to shreds in seconds.

  Una released Cal and she dove to the floor.

  Jimenez flew back into the dining room. He stood stunned.

  “What is it?” one of his men asked.

  Una fumbled with his weapon.

  “Shoot it!” Jimenez ordered.

  Rickie raised his head from his victim. Face distorted, Body rippled and covered with fur, his jaws dripped blood from the long fangs that barely fit in his mouth.